Organic field effect transistor with a photostructured gate dielectric, method for the production and use thereof in organic electronics

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an organic field effect transistor which is especially characterized by a cross-linked, structured insulating layer ( 4 ) on which the gate electrode ( 5 ) is arranged. The structure of the OFET ensures that the gate electrode ( 5 ) of an OFET can be used as a strip conductor to the source electrode ( 2 ) of the next transistor and can be used in the construction of larger circuits.

[0001] The present invention relates to organic field effect transistors, so-called OFETs, with photopatterned gate dielectric as well as a method for the production thereof, and the use of said field effect transistors in organic electronics.

[0002] Field effect transistors play a central role in all areas of electronics. In order to adapt them to suit particular applications, it has been necessary to make them lighter and more flexible. The development of semiconducting and conducting polymers has made it possible to produce organic field effect transistors, all parts of which, including the semiconductor layer as well as the source, drain and gate electrodes, are fabricated from polymeric materials.

[0003] However, in the production of organic field effect transistors a plurality of organic layers have to be patterned one on top of the other in order to obtain an OFET of normal construction, as shown in FIG. 1. This is possible only to a very limited extent using conventional photolithography which is actually used for patterning inorganic materials. The operations normally involved in photolithography dissolve or attack the organic layers and therefore make them unusable. This occurs, for example, when a photoresist is spun on, developed and stripped off.

[0004] This problem has been solved using an organic field effect transistor as described in Applied Physics Letters 1998, page 108 et seq. A polyaniline-coated polyimide film is used as the substrate. In this first polyaniline layer, the source and drain electrode are formed by irradiation through a first mask. In this first layer, a semiconductor layer of polythienylenevinylene (PTV) is also formed, on which polyvinylphenol is then crosslinked using hexamethoxymethylmelamine HMMM. This layer is used as the gate dielectric and as an insulator for the next layer and the interconnects. A further polyaniline layer is finally formed thereon in which the second layer of interconnects and the gate electrode is defined by patterning. The vertical interconnects are produced mechanically by punching pins through the layers.

[0005] The above method prevents previously applied layers from being dissolved or otherwise damaged. However, it has been shown that in particular the last operation for forming the vertical interconnects (otherwise known as vias) does not permit the fabrication of complex circuits.

[0006] Applied Physics Letters 2000, page 1487 describes how this problem can be solved by providing low-resistance vias in the field effect transistor structure by means of photopatterning of photoresist material. To this end, another design of OFET, namely a so-called “bottom gate” structure, is regarded as indispensable. If a “top gate” structure of the same composition were produced, this would result in unacceptable contact resistances in the order of M

.

[0007] However, the construction and the operations for patterning this OFET with bottom gate structure are complex, making it impossible to manufacture particularly complex circuits economically.

[0008] The object of the present invention was therefore to specify an organic field effect transistor or a method for the manufacture thereof which permits the use of photolithography without attacking or dissolving the organic layers in all operations as well as making possible a construction which provides a simple means of vertical interconnection between conducting tracks at different levels in organic integrated circuits. The organic field effect transistors must at the same time be manufacturable cheaply and economically using simple operations.

[0009] The subject matter of the present invention is therefore an organic field effect transistor characterized in that, on a flexible substrate there are disposed, in a first layer, source and drain electrodes as well as a semiconductor on which, in a second layer, an insulator is pattern-formed and onto which, in a third layer, a gate electrode is deposited (top gate structure).

[0010] The organic field effect transistor according to the invention is light and extremely flexible, as it is only formed from organic layers which are mainly patterned by means of photolithography but without using photoresist. By means of the patterning of the insulator layer in particular, the gate electrode of the organic field effect transistor according to the invention can simultaneously be used as the conducting track to the source electrode of the next transistor.

[0011] Advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the invention will emerge from the sub-claims 1 to 10.

[0012] Thus ultrathin glasses, but for cost reasons preferably plastic foils, can be used as the substrate. Polyethylene terephthalate and polyimide foils are particularly preferred. The substrate must in each case be as light and flexible as possible. As the thickness of the substrate determines the actual thickness of the device as a whole—all the other layers combined are only some 1000 nm thick—the substrate thickness must also be kept as small as possible, normally in the range of approximately 0.05 to 0.5 mm.

[0013] The source and drain electrodes can consist of wide variety of materials. The type of material will basically be determined by the type of fabrication preferred. Thus, for example, electrodes of indium tin oxide (ITO) can be produced by photolithography on ITO-coated substrates, the ITO being etched away from the areas not covered by photoresist. Polyaniline (PANI) electrodes can also be produced either by photopatterning or by photolithography on PANI-coated substrates. Equally, electrodes made of conductive polymers can be produced by printing the conductive polymer directly onto the substrate. Conductive polymers include, for example, doped polyethylene (PEDOT) or possibly PANI.

[0014] The semiconductor layer consists, for example, of conjugated polymers such as polythiophenes, polythienylenevinylenes or polyfluorene derivatives which are solution processable by spin-coating, silk-screening or printing. Also suitable for creating the semiconductor layer are so-called “small molecules”, i.e. oligomeres such as sexithiophene or pentacene, which are evaporated onto the substrate by a vacuum technique.

[0015] However, an important aspect of the present subject matter of the invention is the way in which the insulator layer is created. This is a crosslinked insulator which is crosslinked and patterned by means of photolithography, i.e. under partial exposure. An insulator material is crosslinked area by area using a crosslinker under acid catalysis.

[0016] Suitable insulator materials in the context of the present invention include poly(4-hydroxystyrene) or melamine-formaldehyde resins containing hydroxyl groups. The crosslinker is acid-sensitive, specifically hexamethoxymethylmelamine (HMMM). Acid catalysis is effected by means of a photoinitiator, e.g. diphenyliodonium tetrafluoroborate or triphenylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate which produce an acid under the effect of light.

[0017] The present invention relates to a method for producing an organic field effect transistor wherein a flexible substrate is provided with a source and drain electrode as well as a semiconductor and is characterized in that an insulator is deposited on the semiconductor by applying an insulator material solution containing an acid-sensitive crosslinker as well as a photoinitiator, exposing it through a shadow mask covering the source and drain electrodes, and then baking it, crosslinking being effected at the exposed areas and the gate electrode being deposited on the thus crosslinked and patterned insulator.

[0018] Details and preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention will emerge from the sub-claims 12 to 18. The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and an exemplary embodiment.

[0019] In the accompanying drawings:

[0020]FIG. 1 shows the construction of a conventional OFET;

[0021]FIG. 2 shows the construction of an OFET according to the invention; and

[0022]FIG. 3 shows chemical reactions underlying the production of the crosslinked, patterned insulator layer.

[0023] A conventional OFET consists of a substrate 1, source and drain electrodes 2 and 2′, a semiconductor 3, an insulator 4 and the gate electrode 5. The conventional OFET requires contact tags 6 for combining individual OFETs to form larger circuits.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the starting point for producing an OFET according to the invention is a similar structure to that of a conventional OFET. In other words, on a substrate 1 there are formed source and drain electrodes 2 and 2′ as well as a semiconductor layer 3. The source and drain electrodes 2 and 2′ as well as the semiconductor 3 are in one layer. On this layer a thin layer of an insulator material such as poly(4-hydroxystyrene) (PVP) or melamine-formaldehyde resins containing hydroxyl groups is deposited by spin-coating, screen printing or similar processes. The solution to be applied contains, in addition to the insulator material, an acid-sensitive crosslinker such as hexamethoxymethylmelamine (HMMM) and a photoinitiator such as diphenyliodonium tetrafluoroborate or triphenylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate. This layer 4 a is then exposed through a shadow mask 7, preferably with UV light. As a result of exposure, the photoinitiator produces an acid in accordance with reaction scheme (a) in FIG. 3 which effects the crosslinking between the insulator material and the crosslinker under the effect of temperature, i.e. in a subsequent baking operation (reaction scheme (b) in FIG. 3). Baking is performed at relatively low temperatures, approximately between 100° C. and 140° C., preferably at 120° C. This ensures that the unexposed areas remain uncrosslinked, as higher temperatures are required for crosslinking in the absence of a catalyst. In a final development step, the uncrosslinked insulator is removed by rinsing with a suitable solvent, such as n-butanol or dioxan. As shown in FIG. 2, a crosslinked and patterned insulator layer 4 b on which the gate electrode is finally applied as described above is thereby produced directly on top of the semiconductor layer 3.

[0025] With the present method, the gate dielectric is therefore produced by photolithography without using photoresist. This results in an OFET whose gate electrode can be used simultaneously as the conducting track to the source electrode of the next transistor. This allows vertical interconnection between conducting tracks at different levels in organic integrated circuits.

[0026] An exemplary embodiment of this will now be disclosed, specifically indicating the reaction conditions.

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT FOR PRODUCING A GATE DIELECTRIC

[0027] 5 ml of a 10% solution of poly(4-hydroxystene) in dioxan are mixed with 20 mg hexamethoxymethylmelamine and a catalytic trace of diphenyliodonium tetrafluoroborate and spin-coated onto a substrate already containing electrodes and semiconductor. The substrate is exposed through a shadow mask and then baked for 30 minutes at 120° C. After cooling, the insulator is removed at the unexposed and therefore uncrosslinked areas by intensive rinsing with or soaking in n-butanol. The gate electrode is formed thereon.

[0028] The OFETs according to the invention are ideally suitable for applications in the field of organic electronics and in particular for the production of identification stickers (ID tags), electronic watermarks, electronic barcodes, electronic toys, electronic tickets, for use in product or piracy protection or anti-theft security. 

1. Organic field effect transistor, characterized in that there are disposed on a flexible substrate (1), in a first layer, source and drain electrodes (2, 2′) as well as a semiconductor (3) on which, in a second layer, an insulator (4) is pattern-formed and on which, in a third layer, a gate electrode (5) is deposited.
 2. Organic field effect transistor according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate is ultrathin glass (glass foil) or a plastic foil.
 3. Organic field effect transistor according to claim 2, characterized in that the substrate (1) is polyethylene terephthalate or in particular polyimide foil.
 4. Organic field effect transistor according to claim 1, characterized in that the source and drain electrodes (2, 2′) are formed from indium tin oxide (ITO), polyaniline (PANI) and/or conductive polymers.
 5. Organic field effect transistor according to claim 1, characterized in that the semiconductor (3) is formed from conjugated polymers or oligomers.
 6. Organic field effect transistor according to claim 1, characterized in that the insulator (4) is formed from an insulator material crosslinked with a crosslinker in the presence of a photoinitiator.
 7. Organic field effect transistor according to claim 6, characterized in that the insulator material is selected from poly(4-hydroxystyrene) or from melamine-formaldehyde resins containing hydroxyl groups.
 8. Organic field effect transistor according to claim 6, characterized in that the crosslinker is acid-sensitive, specifically hexamethoxymethylmelamine (HMMM).
 9. Organic field effect transistor according to claim 6, characterized in that the photoinitiator is selected from diphenyliodonium tetrafluoroborate and triphenylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate.
 10. Organic field effect transistor according to claim 1, characterized in that the gate electrode is formed from polyaniline, other conductive polymers or carbon black.
 11. Method for producing an organic field effect transistor wherein a flexible substrate (1) is provided with a source and drain electrode (2, 2′) as well as a semiconductor (3) in the usual manner, characterized in that an insulator (4) is deposited on the semiconductor (3) by applying an insulator material solution containing an acid-sensitive crosslinker as well as a photoinitiator, exposing it through a shadow mask covering the source and drain electrodes (2, 2′), and then baking it, crosslinking being effected at the exposed areas and the gate electrode (5) being deposited on the thus crosslinked and patterned insulator (4).
 12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the insulator material is selected from poly(4-hydroxystyrene) or melamine-formaldehyde resins containing hydroxyl groups.
 13. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the crosslinker is acid-sensitive, specifically hexamethoxymethylmelamine (HMMM).
 14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the photoinitiator produces an acid under the effect of light and is selected specifically from diphenyliodonium tetrafluoroborate and triphenylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate.
 15. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the solution containing the insulator material, the crosslinker and the photoinitiator is applied by spin-coating or silk-screen printing.
 16. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that UV light is used for exposure.
 17. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that baking is performed at a temperature between 100° C. and 140° C.
 18. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that baking is performed at a temperature of 120° C.
 19. Use of the organic field effect transistor according to claim 1 in organic electronics.
 20. Use of the organic field effect transistor according to claim 1 for identification stickers (ID tags), electronic watermarks, electronic barcodes, electronic toys, electronic tickets, in product or piracy protection or anti-theft security. 